Rainbow Dash walked with a spring in her step out of the main entrance doors to Canterlot University. Her mid length polychromatic hair blew behind her in the brisk autumn breeze, and she pulled her leather jacket closer around her in an attempt to stave off the chill. The main yard was mostly empty at this time, and the few stragglers that remained were on their way home for the night.
Dash sighed and smiled softly to herself as she took out her ear buds and phone, putting her playlist on shuffle for the short walk to where she’d abandoned her bike: abandoned being the best way to describe her apparent lack of ability to use parking spaces as Applejack had once said, usually just leaving it in the first space she found.
She hummed along softly to the music as she made her way around the side of the building to the student parking spaces, skipping slightly as she kicked up the piles of fallen leaves along the path. She quickly reached the car park and managed to pick her bike out among the few vehicles that were left, its bright red paint job glinting softly under the golden sunlight.
Upon reaching her bike, Dash fumbled around in her pocket for her keys, setting her backpack down as she did so. Once she’d found them she took her ear buds out and unlocked the storage compartment under the seat, retrieving her helmet and gloves, replacing them with her phone and bag.
She snapped the compartment shut, and swung herself up on the bike, firing up the engine as she did. The bike roared to life beneath her, the sound sending an electric buzz though her entire body, a smile finding its way onto her face without having to try. She revved the engine a few times, before fixing her helmet securely and sliding her gloves over her pale hands.
She took off down the car park, the smile never leaving her face as she raced down and out of the school grounds.
She tore down the main road out of town, weaving between the traffic as her face shifted from smirking to childlike giggling. The rest of the world faded away as she raced out of town, allowing her mind to revel in the euphoria of it all, the electric feeling coursing through her veins made all the better by the picturesque evening surrounding her. She kicked down into the highest gear once she was clear of the suburbs, the engine of her sports bike deafening her as she flew down the empty road towards her target.
As her mind began to clear from the initial adrenaline rush, her smirk began to falter, dancing delicately between a frown and a smirk, before settling on a small smile. As much as she would of liked to deny it, she couldn’t help feeling nervous. The sun was just beginning to go down behind the hills, the trees sporadically lining the roadside casting long shadows on the faded tarmac surface. The whispy clouds in the sky were stained salmon pink against the fading blue sky, the whole scene somehow creating a thin veil of nostalgia in Dash’s mind.
It wasn’t often Dash had to plan out what she wanted to say. She usually just made things up on the fly, which for the most part had worked out just fine, her blasé attitude to most of life working perfectly so far. She took one hand from the handlebars, and felt against her front pocket, a wide smile creeping onto her face when she felt the small box through the jacket, safely secured and zipped away.
She kept her hand there for no more than a few seconds, quickly returning it to the handlebars as she approached the upcoming bend in the road. She took it at an angle, the empty roads allowing her to swing out of her lane as she took the corner wide. Her smirk returned as she did this, reminding Dash of the summer nights when she had taken AJ out for thrill rides on these very same roads. Dash chuckled as she remembered how AJ screamed whenever she took a corner too tight, and how she thumped Dash’s side with a fist once they were out of the corners.
She could almost hear the sound of Applejack’s voice, the feeling of her arms wrapped around her body with her head resting on Dash’s shoulder as she sped along the empty roads. For just a moment, Dash felt as if she was there again with Applejack, back in those long summer nights the two had shared. She couldn’t help but smile goofily at the thought.
“Ich kann mit dir Pferde stehlen” Dash mumbled softly, going over the phrase in her head as she drove along. Dash wasn’t always the most thoughtful person. She would often say the wrong thing at the wrong time, or come across quite rude and dismissive to those who didn’t know her well. She struggled with expressing how she felt a lot of the time, and often muddled her words. Despite this, she settled on those six words, her bikes engine roaring as she pushed it faster and faster towards her target, Applejacks farm.
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It began to rain lightly as Dash pulled onto the long gravel driveway up towards Sweet Apple Acres, her bike skidding slightly as she hit the gravel too quickly. After a brief moment of panic she managed to get control again, and slowed down considerably as she made her way up the drive. The sun had set by the time she arrived, and small, shimmering traces of stars were beginning to emerge in between the grey clouds.
She rested her hand against her leg as she made her day up, stretching her legs out after the long ride over. Looking over to the farm yard she could see the lights on in both the house and the barn where the Apple family stored the feed and hay for their animals. Although Apples were their main crop, they also had the usual assortment of farm animals, as well as 3 horses that Rainbow Dash and Applejack would go out on when they got the time together.
As she reached the yard the rain began to fall heavier, threatening to soak her through (her jacket had proven time and time again to be no match for rain). She quickly parked up her bike beside what she assumed was Big Macs truck, and took off her helmet, glad to get some fresh air. Dash quickly tousled her hair, before kicking her bike onto its stand and swinging off it, proceeding to jog over to the cover of the porch, not wanting to get completely soaked by the now heavy rain.
She shook her head in an effort to dry her hair a little, and unzipped her jacket, taking her gloves off and shoving them into her pockets.
Dash drew in a shaky breath, her nerves threatening to get the better of her, before letting it out again, closing her eyes as she did. The rain drummed down on the roof of the porch, matching her hearts beating as she opened her eyes and knocked on the door
Applejack’s day had gone surprisingly well, all things considered. The Apple harvest was in full swing now, and for once they were ahead of schedule, despite her having to run the farm completely alone for the past week. The Apple family reunion was being held in Appaloosa this year, and Applejack had drawn the short straw on who had to stay and look after the farm. Admittedly, it was only out of her and Big Mac, as Bloom was far too young to stay home alone for a week, and Granny was too old to look after the farm alone, but she still felt a little cheated.
Despite not being able to see her extended family, she was still in a good mood. She’d managed to get all her jobs done today, as well as finally getting round to fixing her broken cabinet door, having put up with it constantly slipping out for most of summer. She only had to finish making the pastry for the Apple pies and she would be free to relax.
She allowed her mind to wonder as she mixed the ingredients together, the process almost a second nature to her now. Her face settled on a large, happy smile as her mind took her to where it always did when it could: Rainbow Dash.
The girl had been on her mind almost constantly since she had gone off to university just two months ago. Applejack couldn’t get her out of her head, be that when working in the orchard, looking after her family, at home, wherever she went, she saw Rainbow Dash.
Her laughter, the way she spoke when she was excited, her surprisingly soft, caring side which she kept hidden underneath her characteristic blasé attitude, every aspect of her made Applejacks heart flutter in her chest and her head dizzy with excitement.
Her phone buzzed suddenly, interrupting her dreamlike musings, causing Applejack to jump slightly. She made her way to the kitchen table where her phone was, pushing her glasses back up her nose with her arms, trying and failing not to get her flour covered hands all over her face.
It was a notification for a language learning app, more specifically reminding her to practice her German. Applejack couldn’t help but smiling once more as the phone screen faded to black. For the past year since she and Dash had been dating, she had committed herself to learning German, partly to help Dash in communicating with their friends, and partly because she knew Dash appreciated the effort Applejack made for her.
As she went back to mixing the pasty, the smile never left her face as she gazed out of the small, square window in front of her. She could remember vividly the long process of learning English that Dash had gone through, and though it wasn’t the same for Applejack learning to speak German, she felt that making an effort for Dash to learn the language she was most confident in would at least make her more comfortable.
She continued on quietly as the setting sun stained the slowly gathering clouds a faint salmon pink against the blue sky.
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By the time Applejack finished up the Sun had long set behind the tall Apple tree’s that surrounded her house. She had finally been able to change out of her work clothes into some more lose fitting jeans and a shirt, and more importantly been able to have a much needed and appreciated shower.
She fixed a towel to her head to keep her hair out of her face as she left the bathroom, feeling a small chill as she went down the stairs, despite her fresh clothes. She made a beeline for the kitchen, intent on quickly grabbing a glass of water before retreating back to the warmth of her duvet and pillows for the night.
She could hear the rain falling faintly against the kitchen windows as she filled her glass up, the sound bringing Applejack a strange, familiar feeling, reminding her of nights spent listening to the rain thundering down with Dash in her arms.
She couldn’t help from feeling a small twinge of loneliness at the thought.
She shut off the tap with a small sigh, and swiftly left the kitchen, setting her glass down on the dresser in the hall before darting back through the house to shut off all the lights. A few moments later, after fumbling back through the now pitch dark house, she made it back to the hall, grabbing her glass as she turned left for the stairs.
“At least my trees will be enjoying this rain”, Applejack thought to herself happily as she ascended the stairs, the rain having gotten heavier from before. She got to the twelfth and final step, and was just about to cross the landing to her bedroom and sleep, when she heard a quiet, almost timid knock on the front door below her.
Applejack stopped, confused. She couldn’t think of anyone who would be turning up at her farm at this time, let alone during a rainstorm. Deciding to feed her curiosity, went into her room to set her glass down, before heading back out and descending the stairs once more, shivering slightly and desperately wishing she had a blanket wrapped around her.
She reached the bottom of the stairs, and fumbled around with the key for a few seconds before managing to unlock it. Taking a deep breath, and not quite sure what to expect, she turned the handle in her hand and swung the door open.
Applejacks eyes went wide and her mouth formed into a huge smile when she saw who it was.
Rainbow Dash, soaked through with her helmet in one hand and keys in another, stood on her porch, grinning back at her with an almost excited-nervous look.
Applejack stood in the doorway, shivering slightly as her Pyjama’s did little to keep the cold out, staring directly into the bright eyes of a smirking Rainbow Dash. The rain had caused her usually vibrant hair to fall flat against her leather jacket, giving it an odd sheen which slightly reflected the light flooding from the open doorway.
Before she could speak, she found herself rushing into the night to embrace the soaked girl, wrapping her arms around her lithe frame and causing her to stumble back a few steps and drop her jacket and helmet. Dash soon returned the embrace, bringing her hands round Applejacks shoulders and pushing her back slightly. The two came apart slightly, arms still around one another and faces red, before Applejack leant down and kissed Dash gently, a feeling of euphoria and joy rushing though her body.
She didn’t care that she was getting soaked from Dash’s clothes, or that she had left the door open to the house. The only thing that Applejack could think about in that moment was the girl in her arms; the way her lips felt against her own, her cold hands pressed against her shoulder blades, every thought she had was solely focused on Dash, and nothing else mattered.
After a few moments Dash broke off the kiss by lightly pushing Applejack back, her cheeks red and a goofy, satisfied smile forming. Applejack softly ran her fingers though Dash’s hair, her breathing slightly heavier, humming softly and sporting a goofy grin herself.
“I’ve missed you so much AJ” Dash spoke gently, looking up into Applejacks green eyes and softly biting her bottom lip.
Applejack continued playing with Dash’s hair for a few moments, finding herself internally squeaking at Dash’s inadvertent cuteness, before looking down at her and replying “Ah’ve missed ya too sugarcube, Ah’ve missed ya too”. She leant down and kissed her again, this one a lot briefer, before releasing herself from Dash’s arms and carrying on “C’mon, let’s get ya inside and all warmed up, ya must be freezin’ cold in those clothes”. Dash hummed in agreement, and shook her hair out a bit before bending down to pick up her dropped jacket and helmet.
“Thanks A.J” She replied simply, quickly standing back up and following Applejack into the farmhouse, closing and bolting the door behind her as she went. The farmer had made her way into the kitchen, and was working on lighting the gas stove to make a hot chocolates for the pair. Rainbow Dash set her helmet down lightly on the table by the door and kicked her soaking boots off her feet, opting to keep her jacket and its precious contents with her as she followed the sounds of Applejack swearing at the gas stove into the kitchen.
She entered the kitchen chuckling, the sound catching the attention of Applejack who flashed Dash an annoyed, yet amused look.
“This darn things still broken” she said laughing, trying and failing to create a spark to light the hob.
“Here, this’ll work” Dash said as she came over, pulling a red lighter out of her jacket and clicking it near the valves, a burst of blue flame following soon after.
“Heh, thanks Rainbow” Applejack replied, slightly embarrassed that Dash had heard her swearing at an oven. Quickly changing the subject, she went to fetch the saucepan from the cupboard, before setting it down on the surface and flicking her loose hair out of her eyes “Ah don’t suppose ya brought a spare change of clothes with ya, did ya” She asked, putting one hand on her hip, knowing full well the answer would be no. In all the time she had known her, she had not once managing to organise herself and be prepared for anything. Dash smirked and blushed, shaking her head.
“That’s fine, go upstairs and get some dry clothes on, and dry ya’self off while ya at it, ya makin mah floor wet” Applejack replied, lightly grabbing Rainbows shoulders and turning her towards the stairs.
“Yes ma’am!” Dash replied mockingly, complete with a lazy half salute and what could only be described as a failed attempt at marching, giggling to herself as she made her way out the kitchen and up the stairs towards Applejacks room.
Applejack shook her head while laughing, having throughly missed Dash’s strange yet endearing mannerisms, before getting back to work.
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Rainbow quickly found herself standing alone in Applejacks room, her soaked clothes thrown into an untidy pile by the door and her jacket hung on the bedpost. She’d never understood how Applejack managed to keep her room tidy, and more importantly why she bothered. She began rummaging through her draws, throwing items of clothing behind her in her search. Before long, she found a slightly too large white t-shirt, and smiled triumphantly, throwing it on over her head before picking up and haphazardly putting back the clothes she had thrown on the floor.
She quickly found a pair of knee length blue shorts to put on, completing her ensemble with a pair of fluffy slippers. She checked herself out in the mirror, pulling a few poses while smiling like an idiot, before making her way over to the bed and sitting down gently on the end. She reached down into her jacket pocket and gently pulled out the small, black box she had been keeping safely locked away.
Dash let out a long, shaky breath, slowly turning the box around in her hands as she thought about why she had made the trip out there tonight. She couldn’t afford to mess this up, she had to get it right, and although she would never admit it to anyone, the thought scared the living hell out of her.
“Die zukunft ist von dir gemacht” She said quietly to herself, feeling a little more confident as she continued to fiddle with the small box in her hands. She stayed put for a few moments more, before jumping up quickly and putting the box back in her jacket. She left the room with a small skip, leaving the lights on and the door ajar as she made her way to the bathroom for a towel to dry her hair.
Dash quickly found a dry towel, and began wrapping it around her head as she began to make her way back downstairs, the smell of toast wafting from the kitchen spurring her on. She silently made her way towards Applejack, who was stirring the hot chocolate pan and humming the tune of some song Dash didn’t recognise. Dash slipped her hands around Applejacks waste and rested her head on her shoulders, having to stand on her tip toes due to their height difference.
“Hey you, you all dried up now” AJ greeted her chirpily, bringing her hands down to Rainbows and turning to face the girl.
“Uh huh” Dash murmured in reply, locking her hands in with Applejacks before carrying on. “Whatcha cooking?” She asked, kissing A.J’s forehead lightly before releasing herself and leaving to get out two small plates, setting them next to one another on the kitchen table.
“Well, at least Ah know where your priorities lie Dash” Applejack said chuckling, causing Dash to smile semi-guiltily before Applejack continued “Ah’ve made us cheese and ham toasties with hot chocolates” she replied while smiling, feeling happy as she saw Dash’s face light up at the prospect of food.
“Aw wicked, your amazing A.J” She replied, just now realising how hungry she really was. “Anything I can do to help?”
“Nah Ah’m almost done now darlin’, thanks for offerin’ though” Applejack said as she took the saucepan off the hob and began carefully pouring the hot chocolate into their mugs. Dash glanced outside, the rain hammering against the window creating a steady, frequent drumming sound that had an almost comforting, familiar feel to it, perhaps from memories of countless nights just like this she and Applejack had spent together over the years.
The pair took their snacks and made their way to the living room, where Applejack had already set out a large duvet to cuddle under and an array of movies to choose from. Dash glanced at A.J and grinned, making her way round the sofa and settling herself down comfortably, Applejack soon following and leaning her head against Rainbows shoulder.
Dash draped the duvet over the both of them, and slung her arm round Applejack, sighing happily as she hit the play and leant against Applejack.
Applejack woke up on the sofa where she and Rainbow Dash had fallen asleep the night before. She had one arm flung over the side of the sofa, with the other tucked up close to her chest underneath the warmth of the duvet. There was an empty spot beside her where Rainbow Dash had slept next to her, now empty of all traces of her save for a faint imprint on the old, worn sofa. She sat up, poking her head over the back of the sofa as Rainbow Dash came through from the kitchen with a huge smile spread across her face, holding two mugs in one hand and a plate piled high with toast on the other. She moved around the sofa and set the plate and mugs down on the coffee table in front of them, before maneuvering herself back under the warmth of the duvet. Applejack lifted her arm to fall over Rainbow’s shoulder, kissing her on the forehead lightly while reaching for their mugs, handing Rainbow Dash her own first before taking her own in two hands, appreciating the comfortable flood of warmth that washed over her palms from the contact.
“Morning sleepy head” Rainbow Dash said, sighing happily as she leant her head back on Applejacks lap while sporting a content smile. “We only made it halfway through the movie before you fell asleep on me” She chuckled, yawning slightly as she sat up to take a small sip of her coffee, setting it down on the coffee table in exchange for a slice of toast.
“Mmhh” Applejack mumbled, still fighting down waves of drowsiness as she smiled back at Rainbow Dash. “Thanks” She said, gesturing to the toast and coffee Rainbow had prepared for them both while yawning loudly. She took a large sip of her coffee, humming happily as the hot coffee began working it’s magic almost immediately in waking her up. The pair settled into a comfortable silence, content with one another's company as they slowly worked their way through the mountain of toast and hot coffee. Rainbow Dash had repositioned herself to be lying against Applejack’s side, sticking one leg out of the duvet. Drumming her fingers against the side of her now significantly emptier mug, she kept stealing glances toward Applejack every so often, trying to figure out how she was going to ask Applejack to… to marry her.
Even just thinking about it terrified her, while at the same time impassioned her beyond belief. She could feel her face heating up and her heart beating faster as she imagined the moment in her mind, the look on Applejack’s face as she pulled out the ring she had safely tucked away in her leather jacket as she asked the woman next to her to spend the rest of their lives together. She turned slightly to shield her face from Applejack, hoping she wouldn’t notice her sudden flustered state. Just thinking about that moment filled her with a jittery, excited feeling that coursed through her veins, making her heart beat that much faster and her head spin with dizzying excitement. Once the heat in her cheeks had died down sufficiently Rainbow downed the remains of her coffee in one swift motion, setting her cup down by the now empty toast plate and nestling back down under the duvet with Applejack, using her lap as a pillow to rest her head on.
Applejack glanced downwards at Rainbow Dash with a smile, content to spend the rest of the day cuddled together under the warmth of the duvet. She leant her head softly against Rainbow’s own, holding her now empty mug in one hand while she brushed her loose hair from her face. “So how long are ya here for sugarcube?” Applejack asked, glancing toward the wall clock and taking note of how late they’d slept in.
“I’ve got a couple days till I need to be back” Rainbow Dash replied, stifling a small yawn before continuing. “I got all my assignments done before I left, so I’m all yours”. She grinned up at Applejack with a glint in her eyes, sporting that trademark confidence Applejack had always found so endearing about her. “Though…” Rainbow began again, her usual confidence faltering slightly as she continued. “I do have something planned for this evening…” She said while fighting down waves of anxiety before stammering on the end “Tha- That’s if your free, that is”. She fiddled with her hands while speaking, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Applejack.
“Of course Ah’m free sugarcube” Applejack responded, giving Rainbow Dash a light squeeze in an attempt to lighten her mood. “Though, may Ah ask what it is?”. She smiled at Rainbow supportively, both intrigued and flattered that she had planned something for the two of them.
Rainbow Dash shook her head while trying to think of a good enough excuse, before settling with “It’s a surprise AJ”. She flashed a nervous smile, before adding on “You’ll just have to wait and see I guess”. She reached down for her phone to check the time, wincing slightly as she noticed how late it was, at least by Applejack’s usual standards. “Anyway, that can wait till later” Rainbow Dash said, wanting to change the subject. “What work you got planned for today?” she asked, “Anything I can help with?”.
“Not a lot really sugarcube” Applejack replied, stretching her legs in anticipation of standing up. “Ah’ve been pruning the dead branches from the tree’s in the north orchard for the past few days, and apart from that, just the usual day to day running of the farm”. She stood up, arching her back as she stretched her arms over her head. “Ah’d appreciate the help all the same, it’ll be a good chance for us to catch up with one another”. Rainbow Dash perked up at the invitation, throwing the duvet over the side of the sofa and shooting straight into an over the top warm up stretch, complete with a faux serious expression plastered across her face. Applejack merely chuckled at her small display, picking up their dishes from the coffee table and bringing them to the kitchen as Rainbow Dash quickly gave up on her small performance in favour of following Applejack into the kitchen.
Rainbow Dash cast around for a tea towel while Applejack busied herself with rinsing their dishes, passing them to Rainbow to dry and put away. Once they’d cleared the dishes away, they went upstairs to get changed into some more practical clothes; a pair of loose fitting blue jeans and a black tee shirt for Rainbow, perfecting her look by placing Applejack’s beloved stetson on her head. She checked herself out in the floor mirror in the corner, smirking as she noticed Applejack come up behind her and swipe the hat from her head and place it back on her own in one smooth motion. “Awww come on AJ” Rainbow teased, spinning around on her heels to face her. “That looked good on me”.
“Mmm, in your dreams darlin’” Applejack said over her shoulder, motioning for Rainbow to follow her as she flicked the light switch off and headed out of the room. Rainbow Dash stayed put as Applejack headed downstairs, briefly left alone with her thoughts. She glanced down briefly at her leather jacket, thinking about the ring she had safely tucked away in it’s zipped up pocket. Glancing towards the door briefly to make sure she wouldn’t be seen, Rainbow grabbed the jacket from where it was hung and patted it up and down, feeling for where she’d left the small box that contained the ring, breathing a small sigh of relief upon finding that out of place lump in her left pocket. She breathed a small sigh of relief, before hastily hanging her jacket back on the bedpost and standing up.
“You coming Dash?” Applejack shouted from the bottom of the stairs, having found a pair of boots for her to wear.
“Sure, just a sec” Rainbow Dash called back, jolting back to her senses and jogging downstairs to where Applejack was waiting for her. “I’m good” Rainbow said, tying her hair back into a loose ponytail similar to Applejacks.
Applejack smiled at Rainbow Dash, excited to be spending the whole day with her girlfriend. She leaned in closer to Rainbow and pecked her on the lips lightly, humming happily as she did. “Shall we” Applejack asked, gesturing towards the front door with an excited smirk. Rainbow Dash met her smile with one of her own and nodded, following Applejack out of the house and into the morning sun with a renewed spring in her step.
The sun was just beginning to dip below the hills of the west Orchard as Applejack and Rainbow Dash finished clearing away the last of the branches they’d cut down. Rainbow Dash let out a deep sigh of relief, flopping down at the base of an old, gnarled apple tree that was set slightly apart from the others. Applejack soon followed her example, gently leaning her tools against the tree trunk and settling down next to Rainbow Dash with a content look on her face. Rainbow leant her head against Applejacks shoulder and closed her eyes for a moment, savouring the chance to rest her tired limbs for a moment. Applejack sighed happily, leaning her head against the rough bark of the tree and taking a moment to admire the view. The deep green leaves swayed gently in the evening breeze, contrasting darkly against the light blue skies overhead.
“Thanks for today Rainbow” Applejack spoke softly, closing her eyes along with Rainbow Dash as the warmth of the dying sun warmed her body. “This was really nice, spendin’ time with you and all”. Rainbow opened her eyes and smiled at Applejack, wrinkling her nose slightly as she let out a small yawn.
“You too, I had a lot of fun” Rainbow Dash replied. She turned her head to see the sun setting behind the hills, finding herself admiring the hazy mixing of oranges and reds against a canvas of light blue sky, the view carrying with it an air of both comforting familiarity and fiery intrigue that both pushed and pulled at her emotions at the same time.
“Hey Applejack” Rainbow Dash spoke up, turning back to look at her girlfriend. “You wanna go for a drive?”.
Applejack failed to hide the excitement from her voice as she replied “Like we did on your old 125 back in school?!”. She sat up from her lazy position slouched against the tree, her eyes sparkling with anticipation as she hurried to stand up on wobbly legs, pulling an equally excited Rainbow Dash along with her.
“Yeah, like that!” Rainbow said, stumbling slightly from Applejacks enthusiastic lift up, before adding “It’s a dry evening, so why not? Besides, I can’t remember the last time we had the chance to go out together really”. Applejack nodded in agreement, taking Rainbow Dash’s hand in her own as the two began walking back to the farm, their brusque walk soon changing into an all out race against one another as the fatigue of the day’s work was soon forgotten, their shared competitive spirit taking over as the low setting sun cast long shadows across the hilly orchards.